Sunday, July 26, 2009

Let The Man Speak

Since the election of Barack Obama, we have been treated to the most televised President in history. And in case he hadn't shown us that beaming smile often enough, his failing health care plan was the cue for his latest tactic, which the press has described as "all Obama, all the time." Eleven straight days and counting. Obama has shown up every single day to tout one of his pet programs, usually health care with an occasional foray into race relations.

Even before the Henry Louis Gates Jr. dustup over racial relations interrupted the President's stream of consciousness there have been signs that this President isn't nearly as unflappable as he would have us believe. Full sentences are declining. Umms and uhhs are increasing. Disjointed responses to simple question seem to be the order of the day, often wandering off into territory unrelated to the actual questions. Even George Bush II's mangled English didn't wander this far off track.

Much has been made of Obama's use of teleprompters, and most of what has been said is accurate. But as the mystical Obama spell wears off, and the obviousness of planted questions sinks in on the American public, the press has begun to go off-script to ask questions which don't leave this smooth-talker with his trusty ready-made answers. With reporter Helen Thomas's one-rounder with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, the manipulation of the press is becoming a bit more difficult. And with the Gates planted question, it is even becoming apparent that despite being prepared for the question, the President is fully capable of taking the wrong position and completely misunderstanding why his words would anger so many average Americans.

The constant appearances on TV are not having their desired effect. The more he babbles about health care, the more obvious it becomes that this is just an ego trip and that Obama simply doesn't have the least idea what the plan is other than it must be good--after all, he's proposing it. The average American wants to believe what a President is saying, but when that President can't even come close to explaining a plan that will intrude into nearly every area of American life and health, they begin to have serious doubts. "Hope" and "change" are no substitute for hard facts and coherent explanations, and Obama is flailing.

RINO writer Peggy Noonan, who was extremely kind to Obama both before and after the November election, has summed it up when she says: "The White House has misread the national mood. The problem isn't that they didn't 'bend the curve,' or didn't 'sell it right.' Back then the mood was 'change is for the good.' But that altered as the full implications of the financial crash seeped in. The crash gave everyone a diminished sense of their own margin for error. It gave them a diminished sense of their country's margin for error. Americans are not in a chance-taking mood. They're not in a spending mood, not after the unprecedented spending of the past year, from the end of the Bush era through the first six months of Obama. Here the Congressional Budget Office report that a health care bill would not save money but would instead cost more than a trillion dollars in the next decade was decisive. People say bureaucrats never do anything. The bureaucrats of CBO might have killed health care."

To which I would add, Obama's less-than-adequate efforts on TV to downplay the costs, or merely lie about them, have resulted in even more distrust rather than less. The American people are asking "Why should we support a plan that spends our grandchildren into poverty when you can't even explain the basics?" "We must have a health care bill before the August recess" just isn't cutting it anymore.

As Noonan put it: "His news conference the other night was bad. He was filibustery and spinny and gave long and largely unfollowable answers that seemed aimed at limiting the number of questions asked and running out the clock. You don't do that when you're fully confident. Far more seriously, he didn't seem to be telling the truth. We need to create a new national health care program in order to cut down on government spending? Who would believe that? Would anybody?" Good question, Peg.

The President's plan ignores the thousands of doctors who daily reduce patients' bills and underbill patients who are in financial trouble. How are you going to do that when the plan is run by government bureaucrats? Portions of the proposed bill seem to indicate that such a practice by doctors truly trying to help their patients out could be criminalized. Pseudo-intellectuals who run the government have ideas about which risks you take and how they should limit your access to treatment. Reaching old age will now become one of those "risks." The silly non-Harvard average Joe who eats too much, or smokes, may find his access severely limited or entirely eliminated. And while the bill takes the right of choice away from the citizens, one "right to choose" that is mandated is the right to choose a paid-for abortion. Not a popular position.

Obamacare has now become the lead in a long litany of programs that the American people are not only questioning, but actively opposing. TARP, Cap and Tax, and Czars in every closet are turning the molehill of oppostion into a mountain. And leading the chorus of "we know what's best for you" is Barack Obama, singing off-tune and forgetting the words. Instead of sounding like an operatic diva, he's beginning to sound more and more like Roseanne Barr singing the national anthem.

Obama summed up his skewed sense of logic, facts, and American freedom by saying he might be like the person who might not buy health insurance if left to his own devices. If he gets hit by a bus, "the rest of us have to pay for it." First, I would hope that the owner of the bus chose to purchase insurance. Second, it doesn't explain how the rest of us are not going to pay for it anyway, with or without national health insurance. If he gets hit by a bus, but he's also an overweight smoker does he get less care, thus "costing the rest of us" less? It's called "choice," Mr. President. You want to take it away from us, but you can't explain why your way is better.

19 comments:

BevfromNYC said...

I wrote to each of my representatives asking what the big rush is and expressed that until they can explain the who, what, when, where, why, and how any new healthcare legislation will be implemented, that they are voting against my interests as my elected official.

I also expressed that they make a covenent with the American People that if they believe so much in such a system, that they will be obligated to only participate in the public portion of that system for their healthcare for themselves and their family even if they can otherwise afford private healthcare.

Unknown said...

Bev: Excellent suggestion. When Obama was queried on the subject, he did another bob-and-weave. He said that "right now" he wouldn't participate, um, because he's the President. Well, if it's so great, why not? And he neglected to add that if the worst of his schemes succeed, he will by then be the ex-president, with plenty of money and influence to get his health needs taken care of outside the system. Does anyone actually believe that if Barack Obama walks into the University of Chicago medical facility ten years from now, he will get the same care any other poor slob is going to get under his national health carelessness program?

Tennessee Jed said...

He is so over his head. I totally agree with you, Bev. All federal employees including elected officials must participate in the public option, including all family members (I'm thinkin' Michelle and the kids here.) Under penalty of euthenasia, they may UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE use their own personal funds to pay or leave the county to get a procedure done.

StanH said...

Barry is out of his league and is revealing himself to be the empty suit that we all expected. I get really irritated with the Peggy Pollyanna Noonan’s of the world that gave this creep the benefit of the doubt before the election, and after. At the same time ruthlessly tore into the Governor of Alaska (Sarah Palin) as an inexperienced lightweight, but gave the real inexperienced lightweight a pass (Barry) …shame on them. Their amazed now, …at the amateurish job Barry is doing …puh…leeease. All that was needed for the American voter was a true vetting of our Barry, instead the fourth estate stood by as fans and clapped, God help us!

Writer X said...

The more President Obama is on television, the better I like it. Each unscripted moment is like a gift. I'd like to see him star in a reality television role, especially since that's the only thing he hasn't tried, not technically. Maybe they could call it WHITE HOUSE 911? Just don't air it the same time as AMERICAN IDOL or THE BACHELOR.

Unknown said...

Tennessee Jed: I am truly surprised by how easily this guy is falling apart. I figured he was an actor, with some alleged legal training, but I had no idea that he is simply a not-too-bright talking head with a leftist agenda that even he doesn't entirely understand.

StanH: The unified wall behind which the MSM was hiding is showing serious breaches. Without them 100% in the tank for him, and a functioning TelePrompter, Obama is indeed way out of his league.

Unknown said...

WriterX: Obama has proven the ancient maxim: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Obama is quickly removing all doubt, several times a day. For once, I can say "thank God for the mainstream media." If he continues to pop up everywhere like the ShamWow guy, he'll be finished before the end of the year.

Actually, that's unfair to the ShamWow guy. At least he gets his point across quickly, without a single umm, aah, or uhh, and he understands the product he's pushing (which is a far more useful product than Obamacare).

BevfromNYC said...

Law - Thanks. I believe very strongly that they must live by the public system they expect us to accept.

You know, Tennessee, targeted euthenasia is exactly where we are heading. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel has said as much. Does that name sound familiar? He's Rahm's brother and advisor on healthcare. He does not believe that we should treat chronic debilitating disease like Alzheimers since there is no hope (yet) of recovery and it drains the system.

Unknown said...

Bev and Tennessee: We're a long way from active euthanasia at this point. It's called death in small doses. Emmanuel is advocating step one--passive euthanasia. If you're too old for a medical procedure to be "cost-effective," or a genuine cure (as in Alzheimers) then you won't get the care. Once the public gets used to the idea of "allowing" an older person to die, the next step is to allow "assisted suicide," as in Washington State. Get used to that, and then you're ready for the government to pursue it as active euthanasia (as proposed by Paul Ehrlich and his disciples, one of whom has been put on the President's panel of science advisers). And the beauty part is that you won't have to pay for it. Isn't that wonderful?

In its present form, the government will determine that the procedure isn't appropriate for an older person, so they will withhold it. How long before the system is revamped to allow a government bureaucrat to decide that the older person's life simply has no further value, and orders the life to be terminated? Hitler decided the entire Jewish people were "useless eaters" and look what came out of that.

From there you move on to children with mental retardation or serious physical defects, then to forced abortion and sterilization, and finally entire government determination by bureaucracy of who should live and who should not. Margaret Sanger is smiling in her grave, and Planned Parenthood couldn't be happier. And all of it paid for by "free" medical care.

BevfromNYC said...

Law - Couple passive euthenasia and that other Obama campaign promise of creating a national network for our doctors to access and share our medical records and then we move quite easily right into eugenics.

I don't mean to be an alarmist, but I have never even thought there would ever be a possibility (except in Sci-Fi) until now. We can never allow the state the power whether passively or actively to decide if or when we die by disease.

AndrewPrice said...

Nice article Lawhawk, good summation of how badly Obama has done.

I'm with Stan -- I'm amazed how quickly and how poorly his whole agenda has fallen apart. But in hindsight, it's kind of obvious. Not only does it run against the grain of what Americans believe, but he's done such a poor job of explaining it or selling it that people can't even give him the benefit of the doubt.

Of course, that's a good thing because what he wants to do would be so damaging to our economy and our health.

StlDan said...

Nice job Lawhawk, I especially loved the picture. I feel for the officer in this, once the race card is played it is very hard for Law Enforcement to win. I am however very proud of the minority officers on the scene and for the police unions, coming out strong and hard. I have tried to run all the outcomes of this so called kegger the pres wants to have. I think it could blow up in his face. There is an awful lot of negative stuff starting to come out about the professor.

StanH said...

Lawhawk: Barry’s so in love with himself, and when the veneer’s sheen has completely worn off, they’ll have to watch closely for a mental breakdown. The word “no” is foreign to our sheltered President, his colossal ego can’t stand diverse opinion, and reality is something that happens to other people. He’s the classic liberal politician all mouth and no a$$. Barry’s in hot water now, it’s going to get very interesting .

Bev: You’re right on, a scary thought indeed the government making life and death decisions “with” you, unbelievable.

Andrew: Better our countries enemy be revealed.

Goldentrout said...

It's all good. The snake oil sales have been steadily dropping as more and more people are getting wise to the facts. We can only hope that this will end up with BHO being tarred and feathered and run out of town.

BTW, that photo reminds me of some of the classic Trek episodes- you know, one of those seemingly godlike aliens who holds the primitive culture hostage for its own selfish needs? Only Landru is beginning to lose his power over the people.

Unknown said...

StlDan: The worst thing that Obama could have done was to call national attention to this local matter. So that's exactly what he did. This one will be right out in front of the entire nation, and I doubt that the usual Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton result will be obtained. Obama did more damage to the race-hustling industry than all of us combined could have done. And he did it completely by accident, and to his own personal discredit. The more they try to damage Sgt. Crowley and praise the Harvard race-baiter, the more votes Obama will lose. The damn fool just can't let this go, and that ego is going to do him in.

Goldentrout: I love it! Landru. Ask Obama why he is violating his own prime directive, and he'll go into continuous loop just before exploding.

Unknown said...

StanH: I picked that Obama depiction because it's so appropriate (well, it's funny too). Just like the Wizard, Obama set up a situation he couldn't control, then fell apart when challenged for making a fool of himself and trying to deny it. Let's hope it puts him in the basket of a large balloon, filled with his own hot air, and blown back to Illinois.

Goldentrout said...

@ Bev:

Just found this and wanted to post it in repsonse to your first comment about the big ruch to push this through. Obama's hypocrisy is almost boundless:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOnYnIDX0Eg&eurl=http://newsbusters.org/&feature=player_embedded

Goldentrout said...

Didn't realize it was on Drudge until just now, so everyone's probably already seen or rather heard it.

CrispyRice said...

Love love love the picture!!

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